


Walking Dogs And Shitty Kisses

by ramenchick



Series: Walking Dogs And Shitty Jokes [3]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Humor, M/M, Minor Levi/Erwin Smith, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-02-18 10:56:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2345945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramenchick/pseuds/ramenchick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a spin-off series of "Walking Dogs And Shitty Jokes", told from Armin's point of view:<br/>Armin was beginning to think he just had bad luck with guys. His first love turned out to be his best friend, and his second love ended up being a guy in love with someone else. But then he started dating the second love and they lived happily ever after. Except for one thing.<br/>Whenever they kiss it's... terrible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I've gone and done it again! I just love all the couples in my fanfic so much, I have to write more about them; even the side couples! This is going to be a pretty short but insanely entertaining story about the troubles plaguing Armin and Jean as they try to consolidate their love for each other, one kiss at a time.

     “I’m honored to accept the role of vice-president of the student council. I hope we have a great year together, working to make this school a better place for everyone.” Armin finished his small speech and bowed. Everyone clapped enthusiastically.

     All except one.

     Armin tried to quell his irritation. _Just learn to deal with it, Armin. You’ll have to see him almost every day from now on._

     The person in question was sitting in the corner of the student council room with his arms crossed, looking extremely bored or displeased. Probably both. He stared out of the only window, as he had been doing the entire time everyone had been speaking. It pissed Armin off to no end. He wondered if all rich guys were really like this.

     “Jean. Jean Kirschstein!” Principal Pixis called.

     “Yeah?”

     “It’s your turn.” The principal looked about as fed up as the rest of the people present.

     Jean sighed and stood up. He was a tall guy, a little over the average height for men. That of course meant he towered over Armin, who was below the average height by quite a bit. Armin dreaded the moment he would have to have a conversation with his neck craned upwards just to glimpse the guy’s face. But his height was admittedly Armin’s only complaint; as far as looks went, Jean was a decently attractive guy. He had brown eyes and brown hair that he kept trimmed at the top and shaved at the bottom. The top was slightly lighter than the bottom, Armin guessed from sun exposure. He had a nice build and big, bony hands that were surely evidence of a big…

    Armin blushed. What was he doing, checking this guy out? Jean Kirschstein was about as far from available as it could get. Anyone who went to Shiganshina High knew that Jean was head over heels in love with some guy named Marco. Them getting together had been top gossip freshman year; everyone had been sure they wouldn’t last. It was now the beginning of senior year, and they were still going strong. Safe to say that Armin would never have a chance.

    _Not that I even want to have a chance!_

    Armin shook his head of all his distracting thoughts. He had decided that this year he would concentrate wholeheartedly on getting that internship into Trost Tech. No relationships. Armin had spent too much of his valuable high school career pining after someone who was clearly not interested already, and he was not going to make the same mistake again with an arrogant jerk like Jean.

    “I’m happy that you all selected me as the student council president,” Jean began in a monotone. “It pleases me that I now have something else besides tennis captain to add to my resume now.”

    With that said, Jean went back to his seat. Everyone stared open mouthed as he sat back down and proceeded to cross his arms in front of his body again. Armin’s hopes of focusing on his future in a friendly environment shattered into pieces.

    _You’ve got to be kidding me…_

    “So how was it?” Eren asked as he and Armin walked home. He was Armin’s best friend, and his first love. But Armin would never tell him that last part for as long as he lived. He was planning to take those unrequited feelings to the grave.

    “It was… okay,” Armin said, having difficulty finding the right word to explain the first student council meeting. He could already tell that this was going to be a headache.

    Eren looked at Armin. “That doesn’t sound okay at all,” he commented. “Is Horseface giving you any trouble?”

    Armin grimaced. As much as he didn’t like Jean, Eren took it to a whole other level. Those two had been sworn enemies since they met in freshman year. Eren almost beat the living shit out of Jean for calling him stupid in class when he couldn’t answer the teacher’s question. It was mostly Jean’s fault for being a prick the first day of school, but Armin didn’t think he had ever seen someone make Eren so mad so fast like that before in his life. Jean and Eren were just natural enemies, like oil and water.

     “No,” Armin said eventually, smiling a little in reassurance. “Jean hasn’t really given me any trouble or anything. I’m just not sure I’m up for this. It’s a lot of responsibility.”

     Eren’s face softened at that. He put a hand on Armin’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about crap like that. You’re the smartest guy I know. You’ll do great.”

     Armin didn’t know when he had started doing that with Eren exactly. It’s not that he lacked any confidence in particular; he knew he was smart. Armin just wanted to hear Eren say those words of encouragement to him. It warmed his heart. But, at the same time, he felt guilty for tricking his friend like that. _I’m such a coward…_

     “Okay,” Armin said, a wave of difficult emotions swelling in his chest. Eren slung an arm around his neck and pulled him close. Armin could smell Eren’s distinct scent on his green sweater, a combination of pine and sun, which was a weird smell to be coming off a city boy. Eren always smelled like nature though, probably because he spent all his free time at that park.

     “Anyway, you coming over today?” Eren asked in a happy voice. “Mikasa is picking up Chinese!”

     Armin shook his head. “I need to get home and finish my application to Trost Tech. They choose interns next semester.”

     Eren frowned, but nodded. “Alright, fine. Miss out on all that good food to be an honor student. See if I care.”

     They had come to the crosswalk that led to the subway. Eren crossed the street, waving frantically at Armin as he did so. Armin smiled at waved back, watching Eren’s back until it disappeared into the crowd. Then he turned and started walking towards his house. Eren and Mikasa lived in a crappy apartment complex in the middle of the slums, but Armin lived in a nicer neighborhood. The house he lived in with his grandfather had been in the family for generations, so it was very old and sort of valuable. No one in their right mind would buy it now though, since Armin’s parents had died in that house from drug overdose. They had been secret addicts, buying from the city’s local gang, the Titans. Armin didn’t have many memories of his parents since he was so young when they died, but he remembered the white powder always clinging to the carpet in their room and the violent withdrawal outbursts. None of his memories of his parents were pleasent.

     Armin walked along the street, his head slightly bent. It was his habit to walk like that, because his thin body and short stature were like a girl’s. His long blonde hair didn’t help shatter the illusion either. So he would constantly get picked up by dudes thinking he was a girl, or worse, by dudes that knew he was a guy. He hated pushy types the most.

     Halfway to his house, Armin caught a glimpse of chestnut brown hair peeking out above the passerby. It was Jean. Armin reflexively ducked so he wouldn’t be spotted. Jean passed by Armin without so much as a glance. No, his eyes were glued to the person at his side. They were walking hand in hand, and Jean was laughing at something the other person had said. Armin couldn’t help but notice that Jean had a very boyish smile; it was cute. He seemed completely different from that bored, standoffish guy from class that Armin knew so well. He was practically glowing, lit from within with pure joy. The sight made Armin jealous. He wished someone would look at him like that.

      Marco Bott was a plain guy, average height with brown eyes and jet black hair. His only attractive feature was the adorable splash of freckles on his cheeks. The freckles made his face look somehow innocent and pure, especially when he smiled. And Armin never saw him not smiling. Marco was about the most polite and dedicated guy Armin had ever met. He was equally kind to everyone at school, constantly running errands for teachers and helping out club activities. He was offered a spot on the student council, but decline because of his relationship with Jean. “I don’t want to be a distraction,” Marco had said with an embarrassed blush.

      Armin was positive that half of Jean’s annoyance during the first meeting had to do with that. Marco was a giver, but Jean was the exact opposite. He was a very selfish guy, used to getting what he wanted. Marco was the only one who was straight with Jean, telling him no or that he was being rude when he needed to be told. Armin admired that about Marco. He wished he had some of the qualities. It was one thing to pretend to have those qualities to be liked, and another to naturally be that way. That must be why Jean loves Marco so much. He wasn’t a fraud, like Armin was.

      Armin ducked his head and started walking again. _It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not looking for a relationship anyway. Gotta focus…_

      “Jean, would you please listen to me?” Armin asked once again. He was starting to get annoyed.

      Jean finally looked up at Armin, his eyes indicating his blatant disinterest. “Alright, Armin. Talk.”

      Armin bit back a retort and cleared his throat. “I want to propose to the school board that we upgrade our computers in the computer lab. They are very old and most of them don't even work half the time, so I think it is well past time to have them replaced…”

      “Armin.”

      “Yes?”

      “Why are you trying so hard?”

      Armin rolled his eyes at that. “Jean, we are in the student council. It is our responsibility to the students of this school to improve the school.” he said in exasperation. “Which is why I’d really like the support of the student body _president_ in presenting this…”

      “Do you really believe that?” Jean asked, completely ignoring Armin.

      “Don’t you?” Armin shot back, dumping his research papers in front of Jean. “Now, I’ve checked the budget the school has and our spending patterns for the last few years and we should be able to afford new computers. But it’s a little pricey, so I’d like you to-”

      “Let me tell you a little secret.” Jean interrupted, standing up from his desk. As Armin thought, Jean easily towered over him. Jean bent down and put his lips next to Armin’s ear, whispering the next words. Armin fought back a shiver; his ears were extremely sensitive. “This position, it’s just a title. No one really cares what we do, or what we change. It won’t make a difference for shit. So I suggest that you take a page from my book and just write down whatever fluff you want on your application to Trost and cruise through the rest of your senior year without making all this pointless effort.”

      Jean walked past Armin, brushing his shoulder as he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialing a number. “Hey, Marco? Let’s meet up. No, I finished my council duties already…”

     Armin glared at Jean as he left the room. The other council members started to whisper amongst themselves.

     “...was that about?”

     “It looked like Jean was coming onto Armin…”

     “No way, he’s dating Marco…”

     “...a fight…?”

      Armin ignored them and gathered his research papers off the desk, stuffing them into his backpack and rushing out the door. He would be damned if he was going to let Jean just skip out on his duties like that! Armin was going to find Jean, and give him a piece of his mind!

      Armin ran out the school gates and dashed down the street, whipping his head around to spot that familiar head of hair. He spotted it further down the sidewalk, and what he was guessing was Marco’s hair as well. Armin chased after them, anger fueling his determination to catch up to Jean. He was going to take his job seriously if it was the last thing Armin did. Sadly, Armin had short legs and was bad at any physical activity, especially running, so he quickly lost sight of the both of them.

      Armin stopped just short of the Maria entrance of the Wall Park, putting his hands on his knees and gasping a few times. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked through the entrance, wondering if they had walked into the park. Armin walked inside.

      A little ways down the path, Armin heard Jean’s voice. He sounded angry and he was yelling, his words echoing all the way back to where Armin was standing.

      “What the hell are you saying?!”

      Armin jumped at the harshness in Jean’s tone. He froze on the spot, a few feet behind Jean and Marco. The rest of the path was deserted, seeming to make Jean’s words even louder.

      Marco looked at the ground. For once, he wasn’t smiling. His face looked somber and determined, distorting the gentle image Armin had of him. What was going on here? It couldn’t be…

      “I don’t have much of a choice here.” Marco said quietly. He was looking anywhere but at Jean’s face.

      “Yes, you do!!” Jean yelled back, his voice cracking. “We can make this work!”

      “It’s on the other side of the world.”

      “I don’t care! I’ll get a job so that I can see you!”

      “Jean…”

      “Don’t. Don’t say my name like some fucking goodbye. We are not breaking up.”

      “Jean, I just can’t, okay?”

      Jean ran both hands through his hair and rubbed his eyes to keep them dry. He looked straight at Marco, eyes desperate and burning with emotion. Finally, Marco looked up at him. “You’re being a coward.”

      Marco teared up at that. “Didn’t I tell you that once?” he asked, smiling a little. “That I wasn’t a strong person? That I was a coward? Then you should understand how I feel.”

      Jean let out a harsh laugh. “And why’s that?”

      “Because you’re a coward, too. You’re just the opposite. I’m afraid to hold on; you’re afraid to let go.”

      Jean’s face looked like Marco had just slapped in it. Armin could feel his palpable pain from where he was standing. “Marco, please…”

     “Goodbye.” Marco turned to go. Jean grabbed his arm roughly.

     “I love you..!” he choked out, desperate and clinging.

     Marco smiled at Jean, and removed his hand from his arm. Then, without a word, he ran away. He ran straight past Armin, not stopping for a second. Armin couldn’t move at all. He was in shock.

     Jean finally noticed Armin standing there. “Oh, this is fucking fantastic!” he exclaimed, approaching Armin on wobbly legs. His eyes were blurred with tears. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

     “I, uh… I was just…” Armin couldn’t say what he was going to say anymore. Not with Jean like this.

     Jean kept walking towards Armin and he reached out an arm and pulled Armin into his chest. Armin resisted at first, but Jean’s strong arms encircled him, trapping him in his embrace. Jean’s whole body was shaking. They sank to the ground. Armin felt moisture on the cheek that grazed past Jean’s neck.

     “Just stay like this with me… for a little bit.”

     Jean’s voice was small and weak. Armin nodded immediately; he hated hearing Jean’s voice like that. He would much rather Jean sound like a confident overbearing dick like he always did.

     They stayed like that for a while, tangled in each other’s limbs. Armin wasn’t even sure who was holding who at some point.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm really sorry to anyone who read this part of my series all those months ago when I first put it up, all naive and innocently thinking I would actually be able to juggle three separate parts of a fic at once. Boy, am I stupid! But anyway, here it finally is, the second installment of Armin and Jean's love filled story! There probably won't be another one until next year, so read this sparingly.  
> (Also, I promise the title of this fic will make sense soon. All things in due time, my lovelies.)

            Armin was experiencing a dilemma.

            He stared at the computer screen, open to a blank email. Armin was trying to figure out how to request a meeting with the school board from the principal so he could propose purchasing new computers. Oddly enough, this was not his dilemma.

            "Alright, guys, how's it coming?" came Jean's booming voice from the other side of the student council room. "How many signatures to we have?"

           Ever since that day, Jean has been solely focused on helping Armin with his proposal. A petition had circulated through the school asking the board to consider Armin's proposal, and Jean was at the moment gathering all of the copies for a count.

           "Thomas, hurry up! Get me those papers!" Jean ordered. Thomas scurried to hand them to his waiting hand. Jean flipped through the copies of the petition, muttering to himself. Then, his face lit up. "That's over a thousand! Good job, guys!"

            He grinned and clamped Thomas on the shoulder, pulling him close in his enthusiasm. Armin couldn't help but appreciate the boyish look of joy on Jean's face. _He really looks the best with a smile on his face..._

             "Armin?" Jean said. "Earth to Armin, yo!"

             "Y-yes?" Armin stammered, getting flustered when he noticed how close Jean was so suddenly. Jean had an arm on the back of Armin's chair and was leaning over him, reading the email on his screen. Armin tried not to blush.

             "You can attach this petition to your email," Jean said. "I'm sure the school board will see us now!"

             Armin's heart clenched, hearing Jean refer to this project as theirs so casually. He cleared his throat, attempting to get a grip on himself. But his rapidly beating heart wasn't listening very well.

             "Alright, thank you," Armin said, forcing his voice to be neutral. "You can set it right there. I'll scan it later."

             "Oh. Okay," Jean said, visibly dejected by Armin's lack of enthusiasm. "I'll leave it here then."

             Jean put down the petition and finally pulled away from Armin. He let out a quick breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

             "Have you finished your biology lab report, by the way?" Jean asked suddenly. Armin looked up.

             "No..." They had just been assigned that earlier that morning. There was no way he would be finished.

             "I was thinking that we could get together tonight and maybe finish it together. I work better with another person near me." Jean looked straight at Armin while he said this, his voice suggesting something else entirely.

             Armin froze. He opened his mouth, and then immediately closed it again. Armin knew what he wanted it to mean. He wanted very badly for Jean to mean him when he said another person. But, Armin wasn't stupid. He could still clearly picture Jean's anguished face from that day, still feel those trembling hands clutching his sides. Jean was still in love with Marco.

             "Actually, I already agreed to help Eren with his homework tonight. Sorry."

             Jean's shoulders dropped in obvious disappointment. "Maybe next time, then."

             Armin didn't respond. He just nodded vaguely and pretended to go back to typing his email. But he couldn't stop his hands from shaking long enough to type even one sentence.

       

             In the next couple of months, Armin would turn down countless offers from Jean to study, catch a movie, go to a party, see an art show, take a drive, etc. Armin kept expecting the invitations to stop, but he was finding that Jean was very persistent.

              Even Eren was noticing this, which really meant it was getting bad. They would be walking to school or from school, and Jean would run to catch up with them, asking Armin if he wanted to compare homework and butting heads with Eren before going to class or going home.

               "God, that guy is a prick," Eren grumbled, glaring at Jean as he walked away after being turned down by Armin for the millionth time.

               "You two are starting to hit it off," Armin teased, smiling at Eren's sour face. "There was barely a harsh word between you that time."

               Eren gave a disgruntled sigh. "Well it's not my fault! Every damn day it's the same thing with him. He comes over looking at you all sparkly eyed like he's a teenage girl in love and asks you out. It pisses me off."

               "Everything pisses you off," Armin pointed out.

               "Well doesn't it make you mad? Like, can't he get a clue? If you wanted to date him, you would have by now."

               Armin's face fell in an instant. _He's right, of course. If I wanted to, I would, right? So why don't I want him to stop?_

               Somewhere along the line, Armin had just gotten used to Jean being there. He wondered when he had started feeling this way. Like... He wanted Jean there.

               "Armin?" Eren called. Armin had stopped walking at some point. "Are you okay?"

               "Yeah," Armin lied. "I'm fine."

               Armin walked into the student council room the next day to find everyone celebrating wildly. Papers were flying everywhere and hoots of cheer rang out. In the midst of all the commotion was Jean, a look of pure joy on his face as he talked excitedly to Thomas. Armin was floored by how attractive that face was.  

              Then, Jean looked up. Armin's face immediately flushed a deep red ate being caught staring. Jean made his way quickly over to where Armin was standing.

              "Armin, you'll never believe what happened! The school board emailed us back! They approved your proposal!"

              It took Armin a second to process what Jean was saying. "They... what? But, usually, you have to get a hearing..."

              "I know," Jean said, nodding. "That's what I was expecting, too. So I went to check the student council email to see if they had responded with the date of the hearing, but instead I found this! Look!"

              Jean had printed it out. He handed Armin the email, pointing at the first line. Armin read the words mechanically. _"We have consented to your proposal"... "The numbers were undeniable"... "Unanimous decision"... "The petition was the final convincing tool"... Oh my god. We really did it._

               Something that Armin had thought would take a whole school year to complete, and Jean had made it happen in one semester.

               Armin stared at Jean. Just how amazing are you?

              "A-anyway," Jean said, looking away from Armin's eyes nervously. "I know you've turned me down every time before..."

               Armin's heart skipped a beat. And here he is, asking me out again. What does he possibly see in me? There has to a million other people he could have replaced Marco with. Why me?

              “...but I really want to take you out somewhere. You know, so we can talk. It doesn’t have to be anywhere fancy, just a coffee shop or something…”

               He wanted to find out. "Yes."

               Jean's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

              A small smile touched Armin's lips as he looked up into those warm brown eyes. "Yes, I'll go."

              “R-really? You will? Alright!” Jean fist pumped the air. “I’ll text you later then, okay? And, I have to tell you something really important, too.”

              Armin nodded, trying not to get his hopes up too much. But the truth was he knew where this was going already. Armin was probably going to start dating Jean.

             “Eren, wait!”

             Armin yelled his name, but Eren didn’t turn around. He broke into a sprint down the road, probably heading towards the Wall Park. Eren always went there when he wanted to cool his head. Armin just hoped that the hot-headed teen wouldn’t run into trouble on the way there. Eren wasn’t easy to reason with on a good day, let alone when he’s angry.

              _And all over some guy. I mean, I didn’t even know he was into guys._

             Armin turned away and walked to school. He knew he wasn’t in the right state of mind to go after Eren right now. It would only make things worse. Or at least, that’s what Armin told himself.

              _If he was going to like a guy… Why couldn’t it have been me?_

             As soon as the bitter thought escaped, Armin felt the air leave his lungs in a rush. He doubled over, struggling to get ahold of himself. Feelings that Armin thought he had suppressed long ago were starting to bubble up to the surface. He had to choke them back down, quickly. Before it was too late to turn it off.

             Armin muddled through the rest of the day barely listening to his teachers. He stared out of the window, worried about Eren and wondering what he was doing. Was he still at the park? Did he get into a fight? Does he have work today? As far as he knew, Eren didn’t have work that night. And Armin knew Eren’s  schedule better than Eren himself did.

             The bell rang, finally signaling the end of the day. Armin gathered all of his books in a rush and left the classroom before anyone could say anything to him. Armin knew that Sasha and Connie had been sneaking glances at him for all of homeroom. But he couldn’t talk to them, not right now when he was feeling so emotional.

             Armin left the school grounds without even checking in with the student council. He went straight to Eren and Mikasa’s apartment in the hopes that he would see him there. Then he could apologize and everything would be alright again.

             Armin knocked on the door, practically banging on it. The door opened to reveal Mikasa, still in her work clothes; she must have just gotten back.

             “Is he..?” Armin breathed in a panic.

             Mikasa shook her head. Armin’s shoulder drooped. Mikasa opened the door wider and walked back into the living room, her signal that Armin could come inside. He left his bag by the front door and sat down in the living room.

             “Did you just get back?” Armin asked.

             “Yeah,” Mikasa said, grimacing. “Work’s been a bitch lately and my feet are killing me from these damn heels.”

             “Must be hard being good at everything,” Armin teased, but it was half-hearted. Mikasa noticed Armin’s deflated mood and took her cue.

             “I’m gonna go change. I need my sweatpants.”

             Armin nodded absently. His cellphone buzzed as Mikasa shut her room door. It was a text from Jean.

**Jean (SENT 4:37 PM):** Hey, do you wanna meet up near Utgard Station?

             He had almost forgotten about Jean. Armin sighed; there was no way he could go now. Not with his mind so full of Eren like it was. It wasn’t right. He would be doing the exact same thing to Jean that Armin was so afraid Jean was doing to him.

**Armin (SENT 4:41 PM):** Sorry. I can’t make it.

             Armin was about to put his phone back in his pocket when it started to ring. His eyes widened slightly at the name on the screen and before he could think twice, he answered. “H-hello?”

             “Why?” Jean’s voice was controlled, but Armin could hear the irritation.

             “Jean…”

             “No, tell me,” Jean insisted. “Why did you do that? Get my hopes up like that after all this time, just so you could turn me down? I thought you were better than that.”

             It hurt Armin to hear Jean say that. “No, it’s not like that Jean. Eren… He didn’t come to school today. I don’t know where he is, and I’m worried, and I just can’t. I’m really sorry.”

             Jean was silent on the other line. Armin waited nervously for him to speak. Then, Jean sighed. “Fine, then. I won’t say I understand, since that prick skipping school isn’t anything new, but I know that you, well that you, care about him, so go ahead and wait for him to come home. But please promise me there will be a raincheck on this.”

            “No.” The voice wasn’t Armin’s. Mikasa had grabbed the phone from his hands and was speaking matter-of-factly to Jean. “You wait right there. Armin will be there in a minute.”

            “M-Mikasa!” Armin said in surprise. Mikasa ignored him and hung up the phone, tossing it back to Armin. “Hey!”

            “My brother is an idiot,” Mikasa said, looking Armin straight in the eye. “But you’re smarter than that, Armin. You can see what’s right in front of you. Now go get it.”

            Armin blushed at being found out. But really, it shouldn’t have surprised him that much. Mikasa was always watching the both of them, ever since they were little.

            He stood up from the couch and ran out the door, Mikasa practically slamming the door after him.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my few readers of this spin off,   
> Thank you so much for finding this little series and giving it a read! I personally relate to Armin the most out of all the Attack on Titan characters, and his insecurities really resonate with me. I hope I have translated them into my own Armin character adequately. Also, I think Armin and Jean are an adorable couple; Armin needs love, too! And Jean is just the blockhead for the job!

       Armin stopped just a block short of Utgard Station. He glanced at his reflection in in a store window, grimacing at the sweating blonde that stared back at him. _I look like a disaster. Why didn't I even think of brushing my hair or something?_

       He combed his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down into the bowl cut he typically sported. As he was checking to make sure his bangs were back in place, Armin noticed someone walking his way. With a shock he realized it was Jean.

        "Hey," Jean said, waving his hand in a casual greeting. His other hand was shoved into his pocket.

        "H-hi!" Armin winced; that was loud. "Um, sorry to keep you waiting, I was..."

         Armin trailed off, blushing as he realized just what he had been doing. Jean chuckled and smiled at him.

        "I'm just glad you're here," Jean said simply, turning to walk back down the sidewalk. "Shall we go?"

        Armin noticed that Jean was wearing a different outfit than he had been at school. This outfit was a button up polo with cuffed blue jeans, making him look somehow sharper. His hair, usually a scruffy mess of highlighted brown hair on top of his shaved head, was brushed back into an actual hairstyle. Realizing that all of this change was for him made Armin almost tear up.

       "Armin?" Jean called in a worried voice. "What's wrong?"

       "Nothing," Armin said quickly, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Coming!"

       They walked toward the train station in awkward silence. Armin could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He was going on a date with Jean Kirschstein of all people! Armin would never have been able to predict this turn of events in a million years. _What do we even talk about? Besides the student council, Jean and I almost never come into contact with each other! What does he like to do? What doesn’t he like? Where does he go in his spare time? What are his favorite foods? I don't know! I don't know any of it!_

          While Armin despaired about this, they boarded the train. The passenger cars were filled with people going home from work and students leaving school after their club activities. Jean reached up and grabbed hold of a strap. Armin was short, so reaching the straps dangling from the ceiling had always been a difficult task of him, but there wasn't enough space to get to any of the steel bars. Before he could find his footing, the train lurched forward. Armin fell forward, straight into Jean's chest.

           "I-I'm really sorry!" Armin exclaimed, blushing and putting his hands against Jean's chest to push himself upright.

           Jean grabbed hold of Armin's hand, stopping him. "It's fine," he mumbled, ears turning pink. "Hold onto me. I don't mind."

           Armin opened his mouth to protest when the train rattled again. He immediately pressed closer and tightened his grip on Jean's shirt. Armin, embarrassed, glanced up at Jean's face through his long eyelashes. Jean was gazing pointedly out the window of the train, determined to look casual. But Armin could feel his heartbeat, pounding in his chest.

          Armin had a hard time keeping a smile off his face for the rest of the ride.

          The coffee shop that Jean took Armin to was pretty close to the train station, tucked away nicely between a bookstore and a thrift store. To be honest, Armin was surprised at Jean; none of this street seemed to be Jean’s style. The coffee shop was too cute.

          Jean opened the door for Armin, motioning for him to go ahead. Armin smiled shyly, nodding slightly at him as he walked past. The inside was as cute as the outside, with the bitter smell of caffeine accompanied by the subtle smell of brown sugar filling Armin’s nostrils. It was nearly empty with a wide selection of chairs inside as well as on the patio, but Jean immediately walked over and sat down at a corner table by the window. _He must come here an awful lot…_

         Armin sat down across from him. They both glanced around the shop, avoiding each other’s eyes awkwardly.

         “C-coffee,” Jean piped up suddenly, scratching his head. “Do you want some? Or are you more of a tea person? They make tea here, too, you know.”

         “Coffee is fine,” Armin said quietly.

         “Okay, I’ll get us some,” Jean got up with a clatter. He walked over to the counter to order.

         When Jean came back with two cups of coffee, Armin accepted his with a nod and took a sip. He grimaced, then proceeded to reach for the sugar packets on the table caddy.

         “So you like your coffee sweet, huh?” Jean asked.

         “Well, not really, but I don’t exactly like it bitter, either,” Armin said, then blushed. “Sorry, that wasn’t much of an answer, was it?”

         Jean shrugged. “Nah, that’s fine. That means I just have to figure it out. I’ll start with putting two packets in the next cup.”

        Armin smiled. He liked that Jean wanted there to be a “next cup”. “Maybe three packets.”

         Jean nodded exaggeratedly, pulling out an invisible notepad to take notes on. “Coffee with three sugars… Got it. What else?”

        Armin blinked. “What else, what?”

        “What else do you like, besides three sugars in your coffee?” Jean pressed, leaning forward a bit. “Besides student council, we barely see each other. I know next to nothing about you. I want to know what you like to do, what you don’t like to do, what your hobbies are, what your favorite foods are, everything!”

_We were thinking the same thing._ Armin’s chest felt warm. He couldn’t stop a smile spreading across his face. Jean looked at him curiously.

        “What is it? Did I say something funny?”

        Armin shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I was just thinking about something I had come to like recently.”

        “Well, what is it? I wanna know.”

        “It’s a secret still.”

         Jean tried to coax it out of him, but Armin wouldn’t budge. They talked about what Armin liked; rainy days, studying, travel books, chess, watching movies, spending time with friends and his grandfather. They talked about his favorite food, which was bagels with cream cheese. They also talked about what Armin didn’t like; conflict, bad intentions, people messing with his friends, when his grandfather complained endlessly about how his flowers in the backyard wouldn’t grow properly. Jean grilled Armin with question after question until both of them had drained the last of their coffees.

        “Alright, now it’s your turn,” Armin declared with a grin. “I’m asking the questions this time.”

        “You’re on!” Jean said, standing up. “After I get a refill. You want some more?”

        “Yes, thank you.”

         Jean took both of their cups and walked back up to the counter. Armin noticed that the barista had switched from the middle-aged man who had been there when they came in to a young girl. Armin wondered how long they had been sitting here chatting away for the shifts to have already changed. He couldn’t recall the last time he had talked so much about himself. And Jean had sat there and listened, eyes focused on Armin’s face the entire time, taking in every word he said. Armin blushed recalling it; it felt good to have someone interested in you.

         Jean must have known the barista from somewhere because they started a conversation at the counter. Armin took that opportunity to go to the bathroom. He had downed the coffee pretty fast.

        As he washed his hands, Armin caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and stopped. His entire face was positively glowing. His eyes were shiny with delight and his cheeks were flushed pink. If he didn’t know any better, Armin would think he was drunk. He quickly splashed cold water on his face to calm himself down. _Get a grip, Armin! Geez, he’ll think you’ve never been on a date before!_

        Which Armin had been, of course. He’d even been kissed before. Armin looked down at his lips in the mirror, fingers lightly touching his mouth. He hadn’t even thought of the possibility of Jean kissing him at the end of this date. Would he? And more importantly, would Armin let him?

        Armin quickly wiped his face off with a napkin and exited the bathroom. Jean was still talking to the barista girl.

        “...but I should probably get back to my date,” Jean was in the middle of saying when Armin opened the bathroom door. “It was nice talking again, though.”

        Armin smiled, happy at being referred to as Jean’s “date”. The girl’s eyes widened in shock.

        “Then, you and Marco are…? Oh, wow, that’s so sad! I guess I won’t be seeing him around here anymore, then? You two used to come by every day.”

         Jean shook his head. “He moved, so I doubt you’ll be seeing him again, sorry.”

        “That’s too bad… You two were such a cute couple…”

         Jean might have said something else, but Armin couldn’t be sure. He was in such a state of shock that he stopped listening. _Did she just say… that Jean and Marco used to come here? Every day?_

         Jean went back to the table and sat down with their coffee. He propped his elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand, staring out the window absently. He looked so cute and sophisticated like that. It made Armin want to cry. The prettier the object was, the more he couldn’t have it.

         Armin walked back over slowly and sat down. Jean lit up when he noticed him.

         “Sorry that took so long!” Jean apologized. “Your coffee might be a little less warm now.”

         Armin said nothing.

         “Alright, let’s get back to it! It’s my turn, right? What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything.”

         Armin still didn’t say anything. He poured three sugars into his new coffee and stared down into it, staring down into the cup as he stirred.

         “Armin? What’s wrong? Didn’t you have something to ask me?”

         Armin finally looked up at Jean’s face. He almost laughed at the concern he saw in Jean’s eyes. “Was this the same table, Jean?”

          Jean tilted his head, confused. “What?”

         “Was this the same table that you sat at with Marco every day when you two used to come here?”

          The look on Jean’s face was all the answer that Armin needed. He stood up abruptly, his chair skidding across the floor. Armin turned and walked quickly out of the coffee shop. He heard Jean yell his name, but Armin didn’t stop, turning down the road back towards the station. The next train wasn’t for another twenty minutes, though. Armin stood there, his arms wrapped around himself to keep from shaking, when he heard panting behind him.

          “Armin…” Jean gasped, doubled over from running. “Wait up, will you?”

          Armin refused to turn around and look at him. “I’ll pay you back for the coffee tomorrow.”

          “I don’t want your money, Armin.” Armin could hear Jean’s footsteps getting closer to him. “Just let me explain.”

          “Get away,” Armin said quietly.

          "I only took you there because I thought you would like it,” Jean said as if he hadn’t heard Armin. He took a step closer. “You remind me of Marco, and not in the way you're thinking. You're both really kind people."

           Armin glared at Jean, backing away from him. "I'm not a kind person." After all, that was the same as letting people walk all over you. And Armin was not about to let himself be used as a replacement to Marco.

           Jean shook his head. He got closer, and before Armin could escape, Jean grabbed his arm. "You are. You just don't know it."

          "Listen, Jean-"

          "No, you listen. I like you. And I want this feeling to turn into something with us. I know you're confused about Eren right now, but I'm through with letting go of things I care about. I let go of Marco, and that nearly destroyed me. But you saved my life. I have something to do, something to look forward to, every day now."

          Armin felt tears threaten to spill. "Those are just feelings of gratitude. I don't need someone who wants to pay back a debt."

           Jean chuckled dryly. He reached out and caressed Armin’s face. "Look, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm kind of an asshole. I don't feel indebted to anyone, ever. I don't owe you a life; you have my life."

          "Jean, I can't..." Armin didn’t recognize his voice. It sounded raspy, like he was chking back sobs. He thought his face was wet.

          "Yes, you can. You're just scared. But do you want to know the one thing that makes you completely different from Marco?"

           Jean hugged Armin then, and Armin confirmed by the wetness of Jean’s shirt that he was indeed crying. He gave up and wrapped his arms around Jean. Jean felt warm, just like the first time they had embraced each other like this. Except this time the roles were reversed. Jean was the one comforting him.

          "What?" Armin asked. _Maybe… It's okay this time._

           Jean smiled. He kissed Armin’s forehead.

          "You're not a coward."


End file.
